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REVIEW: Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. Caliente home headphone amp - updated with comments on regular KICAS - Page 3

post #31 of 379
6/4/08 at 6:07pm
Thread Starter 
The white things are a type of capacitor if I am not mistaken. And I also believe that any discrete design will have to be two channel like that if it wants to be a stereo amp
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post #32 of 379
6/4/08 at 7:31pm
Vs the Gilmore Lite? Both sell for the same price now, at 399$.
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post #33 of 379
6/4/08 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post
I haven't had the Lisa for a while, so a comparison is tough. From memory, the Caliente would get the nod for overall smoothness, and for bass authority and definition, as well as for having a slightly more balanced treble. But again, I am unable to directly compare them.
Oh ok, i thought you still had the Lisa,..thanks.
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post #34 of 379
6/4/08 at 8:16pm
I read this a bit earlier when it was only one page, but didn't have a chance to respond.

Have you heard any DIY offerings? Even a PPAv2 or of the like? I'm curious as to how they would compare seeing as they're roughly in the same price ballpark. Have you heard a B22? I'm currently waiting to source a faceplate/enclosure before I get my builder to build it for me, but I'm curious how this amp stacks against some of the DIY variants as it appears to be a very good deal! I'm having a hard time now buying any amp commercially produced as it just doesn't seem to be as great a deal anymore...I'm now on the darkside, lol.
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post #35 of 379
6/4/08 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Nate. I had a PPAv2 with Steps a while back, and there is no doubt in my mind that the KICAS is better. I have not heard a B22 though.
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post #36 of 379
6/4/08 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing View Post
Vs the Gilmore Lite? Both sell for the same price now, at 399$.
Also curious about this.
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post #37 of 379
6/4/08 at 10:32pm
Thread Starter 
That I personally cannot help with. I did have a GLite in for review about a year ago, but that was far too long ago to recall anything meaningful since I only had the amp for about a week.
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post #38 of 379
6/5/08 at 5:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbulack View Post
I've never seen the insides of an all-discrete amp before. What are those four white, rectangular box-shaped structures? Also, since it appears that the electronic components on the PCB are all in symmetrically-placed, mirror-image pairs, I take it that this is a two-channel design?
The white box-shaped parts are relays. Edit: I see the Dynalo also uses relays, scratch what I previously wrote.

Most amps are two-channel designs. The fact the layout is symmetric doesn't have that much significance. Well it does mean the amp is lower-noise than it would be otherwise, and channel separation better too, but other than that, not much significance.
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post #39 of 379
6/5/08 at 5:44pm
wonder how this compares to the little dot mark V that's in the same price range.
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post #40 of 379
6/5/08 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asr View Post
The white box-shaped parts are relays. Edit: I see the Dynalo also uses relays, scratch what I previously wrote.
...The fact the layout is symmetric doesn't have that much significance. Well it does mean the amp is lower-noise than it would be otherwise, and channel separation better too, but other than that, not much significance.
To Asr and Skylab:
Thank you to both of you for the information you've shared in response to my thinking-"out-loud" question. Relays... hmmm, in all my readings in the public threads where the design, layout, performance of a few DIY opamp-based amps were discussed, I don't remember "relays" coming up. But in several all-discrete amps, there are relays. Looks like I've got some more reading to do. Very instructive, and very helpful! Thanks so much for the help!

See?? THIS is why I keep coming back to Head-Fi!!!!!!!!!!
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post #41 of 379
6/5/08 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asr View Post
The white box-shaped parts are relays. Edit: I see the Dynalo also uses relays, scratch what I previously wrote.
Actually, as I thought, they are caps, not relays. I confirmed this with Purity Audio. Their use in the circuit is not something they want to reveal
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post #42 of 379
6/5/08 at 6:45pm
As Skylab said, they are definitely caps. Just read the text on them, the capacitance (.47uF) and tolerance (10%) are listed. I'm not sure what relays would be used for in an actual amp circuit.
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post #43 of 379
6/5/08 at 7:15pm
Oops, so they are, I didn't look at the pics that closely. The wide-angle shots make them look like relays.
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post #44 of 379
6/5/08 at 10:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oicdn View Post
Have you heard a B22? I'm currently waiting to source a faceplate/enclosure before I get my builder to build it for me, but I'm curious how this amp stacks against some of the DIY variants as it appears to be a very good deal!
Given your current $$ troubles do you really feel it's wise to be spending what must be a fairly decent sum of money on another headphone amp?
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post #45 of 379
6/6/08 at 4:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by n_maher View Post
Given your current $$ troubles do you really feel it's wise to be spending what must be a fairly decent sum of money on another headphone amp?
That was before the check finally got deposited...and before the check today...and the tips I just took home. Thanks for caring though...much appreciated.
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › REVIEW: Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. Caliente home headphone amp - updated with comments on regular KICAS